Look ahead: Two high hurdles in Astros’ schedule

Once again, the schedule makers have typecast the Astros. Always a slow starter, the powers-that-are gave them ample opportunity to start slowly. Always the hard charger, the Astros have plenty of chances to charge hardly.

Last year, it set up for exactly what happened, with a brutal schedule to start — the Astros began 0-8 and 17-34 — and what appeared to be a nice easy finish — Houston was among the best second-half teams.

This season, the trend is not a straight easing like they almost had in 2010. But if there is one story that emerged from the 162-game look-ahead, it’s a pair of hurdles that the Astros must clear before the All-Star break if there’s going to be any shot at contention.

The first is the opening road trip, which certainly presents the possibility of a start similar to the Astros’ 0-6 homestand last April.

They go to National League Central champion Philadelphia, presumably to face Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt (Cole Hamels if they’re “lucky”) and then go to NL Central champion Cincinnati.

Then in June — a month in which they play 20 of 27 games against teams coming off winning records — they begin this stretch:

3 at Texas

3 vs. Tampa Bay

3 vs. Texas

3 vs. Boston

Three series against division champions and one against the American League favorite (Boston). That comes after a three-gamer at the Dodgers, that being one of the two “easy” series for the month, as Los Angeles went 80-82 last year.

Outside those stretches, the schedule is manageable. While last year’s results aren’t a perfect predictor, especially with teams like San Diego (falling) and Milwaukee (rising), they give a pretty good picture of strength of schedule.

Beyond April and June, the latter holding most of interleague games, no other months feature a strength of schedule above .500 based on last year’s results. So while the second half once again looks easier than the first half, setting the stage for typical Astros, there’s quite the obstacle planted right in the middle.

April

15 home, 12 road

13 winning, 14 losing

Average: 84.0 wins

May

13 home, 15 road

13 winning, 15 losing

Average: 79.5 wins

June

16 home, 11 road

20 winning, 7 losing

Average: 85.0 wins

July

9 home, 17 road

7 winning, 19 losing

Average: 74.5 wins

August

15 home, 14 road

13 winning, 16 losing

Average: 79.1 wins

September

13 home, 12 road

13 winning, 12 losing

Average: 79.5

Like last year, a full analysis of the schedule will appear in our season preview.